NITRILE HYDROGENATION PROCESS Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: hydrogenation-dehydrogenation catalysts. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to improved process of hydrogenation of nitriles having general formula NC-R-CN, wherein R represents C1-C12-alkylene group, by hydrogen in liquid phase in presence of catalyst selected from metal compounds containing one or several bivalent metals (nickel and/or cobalt), optionally in reduced stage, textured by phase containing one or several alloying trivalent metals selected from chromium, molybdenum, iron, manganese, titanium, vanadium, gallium, indium, bismuth, yttrium, cerium, lanthanum and other trivalent lanthanoids in oxide form, at alloying metal-to-bivalent metal molar ratio between 0.01 and 0.50, prepared by precipitation of the mixture of corresponding aqueous solutions of inorganic compounds of bivalent metals and alloying metals and an alkali metal carbonate to form compounds having structure of laminated double hydroxide family of the type of hydrotalcite having formula [M(II)_1-xM(III)_x(OH)₂]^x+(A_x/n)^n-mH₂O, in which A represents inorganic anion such as carbonate, sulfate, nitrate, iodate, halide, vanadate, chromate, molybdate, aluminate, stannate, cinkate, permanganate, cuprate, gallate, heteropolyacide anion, carboxylic acid anion, or mixture of several of such anions; M(II) represents nickel or cobalt; M(III) corresponding to said trivalent metal; x number between 0.01 and 0.33; n valence of anion A; and m condition-dependent variable number of molecules, followed by washing, drying, calcination and reduction of at least part of bivalent metals to zero oxidation state. Up to 50% of bivalent may be replaced by one or several metals selected from zinc, copper, silver, gold, ruthenium, platinum, or palladium and alloying metals can be substituted by up to 50% of alumina. EFFECT: increased selectivity of catalyst and prolonged its lifetime. 8 cl, 3 tbl, 27 ex